What price remembering?

One sad consequence of the current cut-backs is to the National Coalition Building Institute, the organisation that works to build community relations and understanding. This year they are no longer in a position to organise the more formal observance of Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan 27th outside Lancaster Town Hall. There will be an informal gathering to light candles at 6pm, supported by faith groups and others who believe this important day should be marked.

Here are a few statistics to reflect upon from the HMD website. The site also give information about the genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.

It is estimated that up to 6 million Jews were killed between 1933 and 1945 under the Nazi regime.


Upward of 200,000 Gypsies were murdered or died as a result of starvation or disease.


Significant numbers of Gay men were arrested, of whom an estimated 50,000 received severe jail sentences in brutal conditions. Many kept their experience secret after the war because they could not be open about their sexual orientation.


It is estimated that close to 250,000 disabled people were murdered under the Nazi regime.

Approximately 2,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses died under the Nazi regime, 250 of whom were executed for refusing to take part in armed conflict.

It is estimated that the Nazis killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians during World War II.